Rise of Athena
by tylermech66
Summary: This is about the inter-dimensional adventures of Athena, a girl who had just ran away from an oppressing wealthy family and gets summoned to be Gandalfr. Though she wont be staying in Halkegania for too long, she will grow strong there first before bumping into a way out, and to the multiverse she goes! Warning, gore and stuffs happens after first couple of chapters.
1. Chapter 1

...

A beautiful young woman was pacing around in her room, her strange ruby red eyes darting about.

This girl was about seven feet tall, outrageous for most people. Her pure black hair reached the staggering length to the middle of her thighs, and her body shape was very hourglassy and relatively thin at the waist and shoulders. She had very lean but feminine muscles that were much stronger than they looked with her constant exercise, and her breasts were e-cups. Yes she was quite blessed in body, but it was her mind that was really impressive.

You see, the reason she was pacing was her soon to be delivered report card, that would hold her grades from the college level classes she was in (She's eighteen, just barely), most of them were "A"s but she was really interested in her mechanical engineering grades.

She was a genius, but this manifested itself best when she looked at a machine, of any kind, and took it apart with her eyes... figuratively of course. She had, at five, assembled a working lawnmower engine.

But all this was useless to her rich and influential family, who only wanted her to look good for the man they would set her up with. Undoubtedly some old fart who would be disgusting but rich. She had been thinking of running away but she was going to wait until she had gotten this report card first, then she'd leave.

Her name was Athena Feurebelle. Her as before mentioned family was actually an ancient noble family from France, but had moved to England at some point and shortened their name. She had grown up speaking entirely French, as was the family custom, but had learned English before being put in the equivalent of middle school (For you strange Americans out there with your weird school scheduling), but this did not change her low society thick British accent that her family hated.

She also knew German, Japanese, Russian, and Arabic, but she could not write in the last one.

Athena stopped her pacing when she heard someone knocking at her bedroom door.

"Come in." One of the family's butlers opened the door and bowed, holding out a letter in one gloved hand.

"It is from the school milady." Athena rolled her eyes and glared at the butler.

"How many times have I told you not to say that, just call me Athena." He bowed again.

"Of course, lady Athena." She just sighed and grabbed the letter, ripping it open in a certainly unladylike manner. Her eyes practically beamed when she saw that she had all A's... again. And it said that her science and several of the more industrial studies teachers had recommended her to several colleges.

"YES!" She spun around in happiness. This was the last report card for her, as she had graduated. She sighed, then looked sharply at the butler.

"Marko, please pack my bags, I am going on a... trip." He didn't ask questions and packed what he knew she wanted, no makeup or cosmetics. Only useful things like her preferred clothes and snacks, along with her laptop and various other devices and a large amount of money she had saved up. Athena smiled at her personal servant and shouldered the traveling bag. She'd have to leave today, as her family had already been making arrangements.

She was now dressed in dark baggy jeans fastened with a black belt, wearing a grey tank top with an unzipped black leather jacket over that with many, many pockets. She wore practical black work boots and put her long hair into a thick braid so as to keep it out of her face. She had soft leather fingerless gloves on her hands, letting her long fingers grasp a biscuit as she left the manor.

"Goodbye Marko..."

* * *

Athena had been about to get a job, so as to save up money and eventually buy a house while living in a cheap motel as she saved up. She surprisingly did not have very high standards of living considering her formerly pampered life. She slowly drank some soda from a bottle as she walked to a local fast food restaurant to get said job, but stopped when she saw a bright green oval right in the middle of the sidewalk.

"Huh, that's strange, I didn't know they had a movie being filmed here or anything. Why doesn't anyone seem to notice it." Then she saw that it's edges were fluctuating slightly, showing that it wasn't solid, so maybe her perfect sight wasn't as great as she thought it was.

"I'll just ignore it." She then continued on her way, but as she was passing it her hand grazed the edge, which started to pull it in.

"What is this, urgh, my hand won't come out!" Nobody seemed to notice her predicament. She then felt it suck harder, then suddenly she was all the way through, and she was now in a pitch black void.

"Well, that sucked... literally." She looked around her and noticed she could see herself perfectly fine, so it wasn't just a dark room. She knelt down to touch the floor but her hand touched nothing, going right through where she perceived the floor to be, even touching the soles of her boots to be sure.

"How am I standing?" Then she saw another portal, then shrugged.

"Anything has got to be better than this weird place." And she ran through, not expecting an explosion to the face.

* * *

"Ow ow owowow fuckin' bloody 'ell that bloody shite hurt. Who hit me ye bastards!" Her British accent was thickened because of her state, and her voice pierced the thick smoke surrounding her as she stood back up. Then a strange unnatural feeling gust of wind cleared said smoke, letting her see a yard full of teenage harry potter rejects.

"I must of gotten sent to some kind of convention... somehow." Then she saw some kind of creatures by their feet, and saw the lizard one immediately approach her, which she proceeded to scratch at the neck at just the right spot, she was good with animals, even ones she had no idea how they survived, it's freaking tail was on fire!

This seemed to amuse an attractive girl with red hair and dark skin though. Her large breasts immediately getting Athena's attention, who was a massive perv, Bi too, but mostly liked females.

"Why hello there." Then she saw all the others were mocking some kid in a strange French dialect. It seemed to have a small amount of Latin mixed in but not much.

"Oh, French."

"How predictable of you Zero, couldn't even get a proper dog but a freakishly tall commoner, that's even worse!" Athena frowned as another round of laughter commenced, while she agreed that most animals were better than the destructive humans, personal belief, that didn't mean that they should be saying it in such an insulting manner. The little tsundere with died pink hair just took it and looked to a professor guy to the right.

"Can I do the summons again professor Colbert? I mean a commoner isn't worth much." He shook his head.

"No miss Vallière, that would be blasphemy against this holy ritual set up by Brimer himself." Athena groaned, great! Religious cultists. These types of people were why she was an Atheist, other than her love and understanding of science of course.

"Ok then, commoner! Kneel!" Athena felt a part of her fill with rage, the part that she usually tried to hide from society, so she just tilted her head, and moved slightly in just the right way so as to shadow the top half of her face and make her eyes glint. She loved this weird skill she had developed at some point around five years old, being really tall now helped it work rather well, though she did have the creepy kid factor back then.

"I kneel to no one little insect." Zero glared and started up a strange incantation, then jumped up and kissed her on the lips briefly. Athena, not the least bit interested in a flat chested childlike teenager, pulled back in revulsion. Then she screamed in pain as what felt like a red hot knife dug into the skin of her right hand, inscribing something. Her scream made Zero glance uncaringly at her.

"Stop being a baby, it's only the familiar runes being applied." Athena felt her notorious anger that everyone in her family tried to avoid, as she got quite violent and occasionally lost her senses, fill her body.

"DO YOU KNOW HOW BLOODY AGONIZING THIS IS YE SCRAWNY BITCH! I'll do the same to you with a hot rusty iron SPOON you ungrateful spoiled-" Then her swords of mutilation were interrupted by a massive headache, like something was hurting her for thinking of harming Zero. She just grit her teeth and waited out the rest of the painful ritual.

"Damnit." She caught her breath and looked at her hand, seeing some kind of ancient Nordic sigils which she translated in her head, she had always loved strange alphabets in her child years.

"Gandalfr, what does that mean?" She mumbled under her heavy breath, shocking the professor, who hurried forwards.

"You can read that? But those are runes so old most books with them are dust by now." Athena shrugged.

"Childhood hobby, nothing that big." He was shocked, then she realized that he was the one who told the girl to do this thing and glared at him.

"What was that weird shit about? And don't just shrug it off, I don't feel like talking to that little brat any more than I need to." He recoiled at her apparently vulgar language, heh, he obviously was sheltered from high school.

"I thought even commoners knew what the Familiar ritual was." Athena just shrugged.

"I don't think I'm from around here, judging by how it is spring when I was just enjoying the Autumn weather and that this brat has some kind of force that branded my hand with Anglo-Saxon runes." She was trying her best to roll with whatever had just happened, something couldn't exactly be explained properly with her current knowledge, unless someone had invented cloaking technology and was a sick enough bastard to carve her hand with a hot iron pen then somehow heal it.

The professor just shrugged.

"The familiar ritual is a holy thing that every young noble does at some point, preferably during the spring solstice. You are now the familiar of young miss Vallière over there. Now if you'd excuse me, I am quite busy." He then hurried away and Athena sighed. Then she looked at the brat who did that to her and was currently trying to stop herself from yelling at Athena for disrespecting and ignoring her.

"Alright brat, I'm leaving, bye." A crestfallen look befell Zero's face, then she reddened.

"I command you to stop being insolent and follow me to my room now." Athena just rose an eyebrow and gave Zero an exaggerated once over, then shook her head.

"Sorry girl, even if I was into being submissive, you just aren't my type. Piss off." Then she started to walked to he gates of the castle, trying to shake of the feeling in her head telling her to listen to Zero, before she heard an angry shout.

"FIREBALL!" Then Athena was blasted across the garden, and smashed into a wall and was knocked out.

* * *

"Ugh, not again." Athena woke up to the feeling of hay beneath her and a massive headache. Her eyes opened and looked around the room light only by candles, a strange lighting on the wall that didn't look like bulb light or LED, or even torchlight.

"Your lucky that you survived, ungrateful commoner." Athena looked sharply to the girl who was glaring at her. She was leaning lazily against the head board of her silk topped bed while Athena was in a hay pile.

"I don't rightly care right now." Zero just humphed and started to undress. Athena looked away from the pedophilic sight and then had a pair of panties and school clothes thrown at her.

"Uh, what are you doing?" She just looked at Athena like she was daft.

"_Your _going to wash my clothes of course, since your a commoner that's all you are likely to be useful for, so chop chop." Athena felt like taking a knife and doing just that to the brat's face. Her murderous thoughts caused her another headache. She just dropped the clothes and walked out of the room ignoring Zero's protests, seeing beautifully decorated walls in the corridor outside. She then decided to find her way out of this crazy place, passing by an uninteresting couple trading sweet nothings.

"Hey commoner, you should acknowledge your superiors when you walk by." She just ignored the prissy boy and continued on her way. Then she finally made it out into the night air and looked to the sky, but what she saw shocked her to the core.

"Two... moons?" The beautiful and foreign night sky was dominated by two moons. Actually, now that she was paying attention, the pinkish red one appeared to have some rings on it and no craters at all. So it might be a gas giant of some sort.

"So, I am on a moon with another moon that somehow orbits it, both orbiting a gas giant." Her cold analyzation did not help her shock, which then turned to freaking out when she then felt weightless as that guy from before, Goich or summing, was pointing his rose at her and she was _freaking levitating!_ This did not help her state of mind at all.

"You should know to respect your betters commoner." He noticed that she had fainted. Eh, he thought, she must have been overwhelmed by his good looks and magic. (poor poor naïve Guiche)

* * *

Athena was rudely woken up to water thrown at her head.

"Ah!" She immediately stood up and glared murderously at Zero. Strange, ever since coming here her homicidal tendencies had been on the rise, maybe it was the runes being burned onto her hand or something.

"How dare you try and run away, while I was about to bed no less. Dogs who are unloyal need to be punished!" She was holding a horse whip out of nowhere, and tried to hit Athena who just grabbed it with one hand, wincing at the large pain but not letting go. Then she threw it out the open window and glared at the enrage Zero.

"If ye'd kindly back off, I've just had my whole world turned upside down and would like some time to let it sink in." She was also thinking, who the bloody hell punishes a dog with a whip?! Zero just huffed and grabbed some books, ready to leave.

"No time for your inconsequential banter, I'm late for class because of you. Why didn't you wake me up?!" Athena just sighed, this was going to be a long day.

* * *

The tall girl was now leaning against the back wall of the classroom as the teacher lectured. She listened intently and almost burst out laughing when she said that earth was an element, and that fire, wind, and water were too. Water was probably the closest, being a compound of two elements, but fire wasn't even matter, it was energy and wind was just the air moving between high pressure and low pressure. Dumb primitives.

But still she listened intently as the professor did a recap of basic knowledge of magic. Maybe she'd try and see of she could do this magic stuff too if she found some books to read about it.

"Alright then class, how about someone come up and try, how about Ms. Vallière." Athena saw all the kids start to complain and a blue haired one leave the classroom immediately. Taking the hint Athena left with the girl and looked to her.

"Am I to assume that something bad is going to happen." The girl didn't even look away from her book but just summed it up in lone word.

"Boom."

"Ah." Then, lo and behold, a large explosion rocked the building behind them and the windows burst out. With all the familiars inside going crazy and running out attacking each other. Athena was curious and looked to the girl again.

"Hey, were is your familiar?" She glanced up in the sky and Athena looked up. Seeing a real life dragon flying above them, though it looked king of derpy to her, she never liked western style dragons with their four legs, the ones from the game Skyrim looked so much more realistic with two legs, this one looked almost cartoonish.

Then the students filed out of the doors which when opened let out a cloud of smoke. They grumbled about Zero and how inadequate she was. Athena just smiled a vicious smiled and watched them.

Then she left to try and get into the library, she'd have to start learning about this world somewhere.

* * *

After a week of avoiding Zero and perusing the books, which had been easy to translate with a simple alphabet table she had gotten Professor Colbert to quickly make for her. She had found out everything she could about this continent halkegania and it's human society, asking one of the maids she had bumped into so as to get more up to date info and background knowledge.

Now Athena was leaning back in a comfortable library chair and sighed.

"Great, I am stuck I some kind of Medieval/Renaissance era primitive country with almost no tech, and the nobility rule the place. It's like old France all over again before the rebellion and less guns but more magic.

"Hell, I guess that this could be looked on as an opportunity, after all I can probably build what I need, get access to a forge and anvil and I can start from there." Yes, she had had a hobby of blacksmithing during her free time. She could only make basic tools and knifes well currently but she learned fast.

That all reminded her to looked in her backpack which she hadn't taken off. It held her laptop, which thankfully wasn't damaged. And her iPod, iPhone, Gameboy, and PSP were still in good condition.

She grabbed her solar generator out of it and sighed happily. Then unfolded her laptop and groaned.

"No internet. Well, at least I download most of my crap, so I should have some proper Sci-Fi movies here somewhere, aha!" She sat back and watched Ironman for a while. Eventually she had a realization as he was making the Mk.I armor with just a forge and anvil, with missile parts too of course.

"Tony, how I wished you were here. But ya, that should be my goal." She grinned evilly at the paused sight of the armored Tony Stark just walking through the terrorist's fire.

"But obviously I have to start somewhere, how about a blacksmiths apprentice? Hope that I can find one who isn't a sexist bastard." That actually worried her a bit, she WAS in a primitive alternate universe and even modern earth had it's problems.

* * *

Right now Athena was talking with Siesta, the maid who she had bumped into and became friends with.

"But I really want the job!" Siesta then tilted her head.

"I don't know what to tell you, no blacksmith around here will apprentice a woman, no matter if she has previous experience or not, though maybe there is a crazy one at the borders?" Athena just sighed, a developing habit, and decided to thank Siesta for the info by taking part of her load.

"You don't need to help me." Athena just hefted the tray above her reach easily.

"Oh please, it's just common courtesy." Of course, that fact that Siesta was really hot helped too, but yah, um...

Well anyway Athena expertly weaved her way threw the students to that Glitch guy that she hated, but saw something fall out of his pocket.

"Hey guy, you dropped your perfume." He just ignored her, so she raised her voice.

"Oy, take the damn perfume." She then set it by his plate which caused the boys he was with to start talking.

"Hey Guiche! Is that from Montmorency 'The Fragrance' Montmorency? Wow, you got lucky man." Then Athena saw a girl with drills for hair approach and start talking with Goich. Her eyes narrowed as she realized he was two-timing. At least she told her current fling about her interests before going after them when she was with someone. This guy was just despicable.

Then she spotted that girl from the night before, holding a soufflé. A devilish grin spread across Athena's face, then she approached the poor girl.

"Hello there, are you looking for someone?" She nodded, cute this one, too bad her heart was going to be broken just for her amusement.

"Yes, I am looking for Lord Guiche?" Athena nodded serenely and pointed at drill hair and Gotch.

"Yes, he is right their with his newest lover." Her face turned red and teary, then she ran to Guiche.

"Lord Guiche, is it true this girl is your lover, I even made you this soufflé because of your sweet words last night!" She looked heartbroken, but drill hair turned angrily at him.

"You've been romancing a first year!" Then in unison.

"YOU TWO-TIMING JERK!" And a loud double slap reverberated around the now silent hall, which after the girls fled was filled with the laughter of boys and gossiping girls.

"Wow, you got caught big this time Guiche!"

"Yah, no sweet-talking your way out of this one."

"And seriously? A first year?"

All this was directed at said two-timing jerk. Who then spotted Athena who had burst out laughing at him and was awkwardly leaning against a horrified Siesta's shoulder to support herself.

Guiche puffed up and pointed angrily at Athena.

"You commoner! How dare you besmirch the name of Gramont with your meddling!" Athena stopped and glared at the boy, who shrank back slightly from it because, well, when a woman glares at you like that...

"I think you besmirched yourself quite well there without my help. It wasn't I who romanced two girls at the same time without their knowing, doubt any woman here has my tastes anyways." Several guys and Siesta blushed and had nosebleeds at suddenly perverted thoughts. But Guiche reign himself in for his self conceived "Honor"

"I don't think you are worth punishing, so begone with you, shoo." She was angry now, and decided to do something stupid.

"I challenge you to a duel." That stopped Guiche in his tracks

"I accept, what are your terms... commoner?" Athena now realized how outmatched she was. While she could pummel him easily, he had magic, and he apparently an earth elemental so he could just bury her and end it. She'd have to do this quick and in someplace where she had the advantage. Then she grinned in false bravado.

"Outside of the walls, in the eastern forest in two hours, don't be late or it's forfeit." She then walked away and grabbed Zero before she could embarrass her.

* * *

Athena stared at her bowie knife that she had packed in her backpack for protection in the London streets. She grabbed it and felt a rush of power. Speed, strength, knowledge of how to use this weapon in the most efficient way but no style at all.

She let go and was back to normal. She noticed the runes glowing fade away.

"So, these aren't just fancy words, interesting." She then fastened the knife holster to the right side of her belt. Then she fingered her leather jacket. It should actually be effectively a really light armor for her, grazes and light blunt hits would hopefully be softened, but not likely worth betting on.

"-and now I have to apologize to Gramont for your actions! I mean really!" Oh was Zero talking this whole time? Oh well, nothing worthwhile likely.

"Shut-up Zero, this is my fight." She stopped and had a panicked look on her face, then was her usual enraged and haughty again.

"How dare you call me that! I am Louise Françoise LeBlanc de la Vallière! Not 'Zero'..." Athena was genuinely surprised.

"I didn't know that. Everyone called you that so I thought that was your name, sorry Zero." Then she walked away, not realizing that she had said it again and broke Louise's self-confidence even more.

* * *

Before Athena finally made her way to the forest, she felt that the name Louise, with Zero and familiar should be more significant to her, but for the life of her she couldn't remember what it meant.

The runes under her glove glowed wickedly, unseen.

* * *

Both Athena and Guiche were now in a forest. Not a clearing but the trees were spread out enough to not be too impairing. Athena glance above and made routes in her head for where to climb. Time for those gymnastics lessons and tree climbing to come to use.

Goich pointed his nose up and his rose at Athena.

"I am surprised you actually came and didn't try to run while I made my way here." Athena just glared and he didn't see that she was wearing a weapon on her belt.

"I will not fight a defenseless woman though, so here. Take a sword." He quickly made a simple bronze broadsword and threw it at her. She caught it in her right hand and felt the knowledge of how to use it pore in. Then she pulled out her bowie knife and felt the knowledge merge, and she smirked. Duel-wielding, hell yah!

"Oh, no matter, anything to help you survive I guess. Now let's start this little soiree. Say hello to my beautiful Valkyrie" He said this as if he was announcing teatime. And a petal fell from his wand to the ground. Then a bronze robot thing appeared in front of him

'No, it doesn't have any moving parts, more of a puppet, or more likely a marionette controlled by magic instead of strings.

"Hello, like to dance?" He then laughed.

"Ooh witty. But let's get this show on the road. Valkyrie, attack!" The thing charged forwards but Athena, with her new speed and reflexes, easily dodged it's attack and used her knife to hit it in just the right way such as to pierce it's head. But that didn't stop it so Athena fell back to her video game approach form with such summons, go for the summoner immediately and ignore the minions.

She quickly ran at Guiche feinting with the sword while preparing to strike with her knife. He hastily brought up two more Valkyries before she could reach him so she cut one in half with the sword while taking the arms on the other with her knife. forgetting all about using the trees to her advantage for a faster approach.

She repeated her earlier run and swung down with her sword at him in her fighting state of mind, hitting a hastily summoned blade but Guiche had ignored her other hand which pierced up in his gut with her knife to behind his ribcage, piercing his lung, making him choke out blood.

"What... how is this..."

Guiche tried to back away but in reality doing that just caused her knife to dig into his ribcage and widen his lung injury.

Meanwhile Athena was freaking out, but she steeled her self and quickly pulled her knife out and plunged it into his heart, killing him. She backed away, with blooded covering her front ruining her tank top. All the other students were immensely shocked at what she had done and one fat one was puking over somewhere in the bushes. She saw the two girls he had betrayed run to him crying while several students cried out that she was a monster. This caused Athena to glare at them in her panicked state, and with her manic eyes and bloody visage, she struck a scary image.

"He would have crushed me like a bug if he had his way, and left my body out here to rot likely. I do not care what you hypocrites think, but I think that this escalated too quickly." She then walked away. In an effort to survive a stupid mistake she had killed someone. She had always had somewhat murderous thoughts about many people but they had been held back by her worry of the law, but this spoiled brat didn't deserve this level of punishment. He only needed a little beating.

Athena, then calmed down enough in her little walk to realized that maybe the Gramont family was influential. Of course it was, this was a school for nobles! And an honorable duel would not be believed because she was just the powerless commoner. She'd have to run, run as fast as she could, but she needed her stuff, it was all she had of home.

She quickly ran to Siesta's room, where she had been sleeping and hastily packed everything she could in her traveling bag, pulling the strap over her shoulder just as Siesta opened the door, seeing Athena covered in blood she checked for injuries.

"It is not mine, I won the duel, but I fear for my life now. I won that duel by luck Siesta, I need to run before vengeful parents come after me." Siesta nodded, knowing of noble pettiness. She did a basic clean up of Athena's jacket while she put on her spare tank top, leaving the bloodstained one behind.

Then Athena looked at the bronze blade still in her hand, she'd have to get a better one to protect herself soon.

"Hey Athena. Go to Tristania first. You can get a proper sword there and you can get a cheap room at the Charming Fairy inn. Just tell Scarron that Siesta sent you." Athena nodded and made a basic scabbard for the bronze sword on her back to hold it there. She then, before leaving, grabbed Siesta by the sides of her head and gave her a hot openmouthed kiss, then stepped back from the shell=shocked girl and smirked.

"For luck, ye know? I could die today." Then she grinned even more and left the room, running out of the academy before any teachers could get her, using her speed by holding her knife handle so that she could get out quicker.

* * *

**I love this idea, hope you like the long chapter. Editing the next one already, I'll publish it soon enough.**


	2. Chapter 2

...

After a day or so of travel, Athena had made it to Tristania. It was a beautiful city, but all she cared about was getting a sword, place to sleep, and food, in that order.

After a bit of looking around and asking, she was pointed to a small diminutive weapons shop in an alley. She entered the shady building, and went up to the shopkeeper, who just looked at her and pointed to the bargain bin.

She dug around, eying each blade and ignoring the ones that were obviously just molded, knowing enough to know that was horrible craftsmanship.

"Hey man, this girl knows a bit, that's great. Last guy who bought me knew nothing about swords." she jumped from the voice right in front of her, and stared incredulously at the rusty broad sword that had a little bit of metal moving while it... talked.

"Oy, that sword on your back looks like shit, hope it's just temporary." She nodded, and looked at his, for that how he sounds, blade, seeing that with a bit of cleaning, it would be good as new, and better than the rest of these put together.

Then she realized one thing, she had no money.

"Damnit, I forgot." She then looked side to side and put her finger to her lips and whispered.

"You want out of this boring place yah, well if you keep quiet I'll clean you up and polish you." He saw her dangle her empty wallet in front of her so he made an "ah" sound.

Athena grabbed him, some metal polish and cleaning kit. She picked an extra long black kunai that he somehow had and sold her bowie knife, which the man said was of really high quality steel but not the best workmanship, and she got some gold for it, along with her bronze sword. She actually managed to buy the kunai legitimately.

Then she edged slowly to the door and right when the guy was looking at the back at his forge to check on something, she opened the door and hightailed it out of there. Making sure to walk normally after getting far enough away, she asked around for the Charming Fairies inn, which got her strange looks but eventually she got to a the decent looking building.

"Hmm, doesn't look too bad, Siesta's sister must be doing good for herself."

"Ah but of course mademoiselle. She is a fine worker." She spun around with a hand on her kunai but saw only an obviously flamboyantly gay guy doing... jiggles (Shudder)

"Ah yes, Siesta said I could get a cheap room if I said she sent me?" The man... thing _jiggled _again and made a thinking noise that would have been cute with a proper girl.

"Ah yes, I can do that but you will have to work off the rest of it. I've got a spot open as a waitress or a dishwasher." Judging from this guy's looks she choose the best option.

"Dishwashing please. "He jiggled again and nodded, a bit disappointed.

"Alright then mademoiselle, call me... mademoiselle Scarron, alright. hehe" Athena shuddered as she followed Scarron into the building, and he showed her the attic room, which seemed sensible, if not up to modern standards.

Athena sighed and rested her weapons on the bed. She examined her new kunai carefully. Unlike what most people believed kunai were not throwing weapons. I mean you could throw a kitchen knife, but it was best used for cooking, just like kunai were good Omni-use tools, like a primitive Swiss army knife. This one was extra long, a good nine inch blade. The handle was wrapped in several layers of white cloth and there was a ring at the end of the handle.

She then looked to her new sword.

"Ok, you can talk now, what's your name" The sword let out a sigh.

"Finally, you better make good on that promise lady! I am Lord Derflingr, best and mightiest sword around!" Athena smiled, this one had spirit.

"Yep, I've got some time before my first shift, so lets get the majority of that nasty rust off shall we?" She took out the cleaning kit, and got to work, with Derf giving her some tips to be more efficient as she worked.

* * *

Washing the dishes wasn't so bad, it was rather calming actually, after all that had happened recently Athena was happy that there was something so normal and mundane to do. Even if there wasn't actual running water, at least the water was mostly clean.

Jessica, Siesta's cousin, was happy to see a friend of her cousin.

"She's such a sweet thing isn't she? I worry about if some noble will tell her to do... something, and she wont be able to stop them. I mean, she's so innocent." Athena nodded and sighed, this world, with all of it's physical beauty, really kind of sucked. If only...

Athena looked to the direction of her room, she had technology so far ahead of anyone here. They didn't even have the cotton gin yet. Maybe she could eventually develop the means to create proper guns, though if she got some musket crafting tools that would speed it along quite nicely.

After two days, in which Athena decided to leave Tristania, but take a weird route through Tristain that would go through Count Mott's territory. She'd eventually end up in the port city of La Rochelle. Where she could go wherever she wanted.

"Ah, the life of an adventurer, sounds nice. Maybe start off as a mercenary?" Athena continued to mumble her plans to herself while Jessica sneakily listened in. she heard the thing about becoming a mercenary so she looked Athena over, yes, she looked potentially strong enough. Enough to even wear medium-heavy armor if she choose so. Athena caught her gaze and gave a coy smile. Jessica blushed, she wasn't that kind of girl!

* * *

Athena shouldered her new satchel, which had replaced her traveling bag as it was lighter and less bulky. She had sold all her extra clothes.

She adjusted her weapons and smiled. She would never have imagined a wondering fantasy life, under two moons. She guessed she could thank Zero for that, if nothing else.

Athena was about to leave the city through the main gates when she saw a beautiful girl in royal attire. She shook her head after a while and wiped the drool from her lips. She was too rich for her blood, probably high maintenance too.

* * *

The journey through Tristain took a couple days. Today was a nice cheery day so Athena walked into the town surrounding a mansion. She overheard several people gossiping about the fact that the perverted lord had whisked away another maiden mistress. Athena shrugged, it wasn't her business. But after hearing that the girl had foreign features she stopped and approached the three women.

"This girl wouldn't happen to have black hair and brown eyes who had worked at the academy as a maid?" The women looked shocked, then nodded slowly. Athena sighed and walked to the mansion, going around and easily climbing the heavily decorated walls into the building, not hesitating at her brazen law breaking.

Then she started to search. Guards were actually not as attentive during day, and there was less of them. She skulked through the halls to the servant's quarters, but the state that these women lived in disgusted her. The older ones were happily applying makeup while the younger, newer ones were cowering in their little niches of the wall, also disgusted with the complacent attitudes of the broken ones.

It angered her, but she left and searched the place until she came across a bedroom close to the "Throne" room. She found Siesta, dressed in a skimpy maid outfit. Athena blushed and coughed slightly. Letting Siesta know she was there.

Siesta spun around nervously, and saw Athena blushing at her attire.

"I'm sorry, this is what he told me to wear." Athena's eyes hardened.

"No, you are coming with me." Siesta looked around scared, but looked down dejected.

"I am sorry, I need the money for my family. He still has my contract." Athena sighed, then smiled lightly.

"Looks like I've got to depend on my luck again. I'm going to duel him. Make sure to have your things packed." She tried to reason with her but Athena stopped her again. then she left through a window, outside of the compound.

* * *

The guards at the front of the gate looked curiously at the girl who was taller than they were who was looking at them, then she cleared her throat.

"I, Athena de Clarence la Feurebelle, request an audience with royal messenger Count Mott." She was using her high society French accent for this, pulling off the noble voice perfectly. They glanced at her clothes and she glared, trying to pull of the haughty look from her mother.

"What are you peasants waiting around for looking at my attire? Get me that audience!" One of them bowed and quickly hurried away into the mansion, then returned a few minutes later and bowed again.

"Count Mott will see you." She nodded and walked into the building. She had on a stolen traveling cloak that was black and covered everything. So her earth clothes were hidden and her aristocratic face should do the rest. The fact that she had proper training in this nobility crud helped too.

"Ugh, never thought it would be useful. Oh well, guess I was wrong." She walked into the faux throne room and looked about at the various objects in the room. She could see several wands hidden away in such objects. Then she looked to the average faced man atop a small wooden throne.

"Ah, greetings Count Mott. I would ask you a favor." He shooed away a servant with wine in her hands and leaned forwards, eyes inquisitive.

"Oh, and what would that be milady?" She smiled.

"The contract of a young miss Siesta de Tarbes. You see she was going to be my personal servant now that I am graduated from the academy. I was saddened to hear of her... acquisition." He laughed.

"And why would I let such a pretty flower go, it even has an exotic hint to it." She sighed and stood up straighter, looking the man in the eyes.

"If you will not give me what is rightfully mine, I will have to take it as a prize with a duel. If you refuse, your whole county will know of your cowardice." The man paled, a duel over such an apparently trivial matter. But Athena held herself with noble bearing, mayhaps she was just a bit possessive (Which is true.)

"I... accept. May we have this duel in my courtyard?" She nodded, and gripped Derf tightly with one hand, using her rune's strength to make up for her still developing strength.

"Let's do this Derf." He seemed to give a nodding motion with the little bit of metal at his guard.

They arrived in a large courtyard, with long pools of water on each side and braziers filled with fire. She then drew Derf out and one of her kunai. This surprised the Count.

"Why use commoner weapons instead of a proper wand?" She just rolled with the act easily.

"Embarrassingly, I had broken my wand a week ago and am currently having a custom swordwand made. I will, just have to make do with my own melee armaments, as I don't trust any wand but my own." He nodded, reasonable enough.

"Ok then, let this formal duel start with the acknowledgment that I will release the contract of the maid Siesta to Athena of house Feurebelle in the case that she wins. And of I win," He grinned" I will get to court the fair Athena." Athena sighed and nodded her assent. Then the duel commenced.

She used the impressive speeds of her runes to get behind him while dodging various quickly chanted water spells, then pointed her sword at his neck, ready to push it into his brain at a moment notice before he had even said his incantation.

"But, but... oh fine, you win." They walked back inside, the Count had not put up much argument, but it was soon seen why when he looked to Athena.

"I still would request that courtship, if you may." Athena felt sick inside but smiled warmly.

"I apologize, but I am already betrothed. I really just wanted my servant that I had been grooming in the academy." He sighed in a carefree manner, and handed her the contract. Then she awaited as Siesta came out of the room, dressed in her normal maid clothes.

* * *

"They were walking away from the mansion now, so Athena turned to Siesta.

"You go right to the academy. You know that I can not allow them to catch me. But, I think I deserve a reward." She looked confusedly up to Athena's gaze, but she stole a quick kiss on her lips, before grinning, then running off to La Rochelle.

* * *

Athena smiled as she reached La Rochelle after several days. The city was actually carved into the side of the mountain, now that was her kind of architecture. The only thing she didn't like was how they had to use magic to make up for the thin support columns and thin walls. None of the larger buildings in Halkegania had improved in engineering since whenever they had started to use magic for it, it was like the nobles were trying to make the peasants entirely dependent on them, which wasn't all that implausible.

She was about to head to the strange giant tree that acted as the docks, but she was distracted by the sight of blacksmiths farther into the city proper at open forges making armor and weapons. That was a skill she had. Not as good as people who did it for a living though of course, maybe..

Athena grinned and walked up to the blacksmiths.

"Hey sir, I'll pay you to use the forge for a while." The old blacksmith looked her over, then laughed a hearty laugh as he dusted off his inch long grey beard.

"What would a girl like ye know about smithing? If you could even shape a knife I'd be impressed." Her eyes narrowed, then she stuffed the gold in his hands and grabbed some of his iron ingots. She used the calipers to hold them as she placed them in the forge, letting the iron heat up.

Then, when the iron was red hot with yellow flecks, she pulled it out and placed it on the anvil. She then started to hammer away, shaping the iron into a long bar. She then heated it up again, and did the process over.

Athena then flattened the metal, but not too much. She tapped lightly with the hammer at the sides, making a decent edge.

She had been cooling the blade every now and then to harden it, and now after about an hour, she had a simple hardened iron blade, with a sharp edge. Using steel would have left her penniless so she had used the iron.

She then sat down a the grinder, and sharpened the edge of the blade after it was cooled for the last time. After she was said and done, the simple iron longsword was finished. She didn't use proper folding technique to strengthen the metal, but she wanted it done quick and had used a personal trick of hers to strengthen the metal, adding some powdered fox bones when she had first heated the blade.

She carried them around for luck, feeling a connection to foxes for some reason, she knew that bones made the simpler metals stronger, but ws surprised at how strong it made the iron, perhaps this worlds laws were a bit different that she was used to.

She wrapped up the handle in wet leather tightly, and clamped it down to dry. Now she looked to the shocked blacksmith, who had been using his secondary anvil to work while she showed off.

She stood up, and swung the blade a couple times after it dried to get used to it, her Gandalfr power letting her know that it was a fairly good blade for having only started with iron. She tossed it onto the hands of the critical blacksmith, who looked over the blade.

"Well, that is impressive for someone who is obviously self taught. But that sword will only go for about fifty ecu, barely more than you used to buy the iron. Ill tell you girl, I'll teach you if you want." Athena smiled and looked down at the man, because she obviously was taller than most people, and held out her hand to shake, but he just looked at it confused.

"Sorry, foreign custom, your supposed to shake hands up and down so as to non-formally seal a deal. So, you in." He grinned, and grasped her hand.

"Alright. Lets get started now. I noticed that you snuck in some powder while ye worked, what was that?"

"Oh, just bone, it strengthens the metal, I use fox bones because, well it's kind of embarrassing, I really like foxes. When I hold a sword made with some fox in it, it feels like an extension of meself. I only use ones from skeletons that I find in the forest and the odd seller who sells them." He nodded slowly, then grinned.

"Your a strange one, I like that! Lets start teaching ye now." So they then started to work, Athena already knew how to make a decent steel sword, but the man, who's name was Bjorland, had told her that her folding techniques were all wrong when her real sword was finished after a week. He proceeded to teach her more over several months, in which Athena partially settled into the medeval commoner's life for a time, but knowing she would be leaving the country sooner or later.

* * *

After that half a year passed, Athena during this time got used to the peasant life, even if she didn t like it. Her skills improved over the month exponentially, her quick lerning impressing the old blacksmith.

Now, after the end of the seventh month and with a full moon in the night sky, Athena was pounding metal into the form of a one and a half handed broadsword. Derflingr was watching her work from the side, saying how this was familiar somehow.

"Oh yah Derf? How so?" He somehow gave of the feeling of a shrug with what little movement he had.

"I don't know, can't remember, I AM five thousand years old after all!" She just chuckled and continued to work away. The blade she was working on wasn't going for sale. It had a larger amount of fox bone powder in it, which seemed to strangely empower the metal much more than the tiny amount it had back home on Earth. maybe foxes actually had a little magic in this world? Whatever they had, the sword was beautiful, even if unfinished.

She had managed to get her hands on a pound of Mithril from a merchant who was from the border of human lands with the elves. He sold it to her at an outrageous price, but she had managed to pay for it with her money from working as a blacksmith. She had used the extremely precious Mithril sparingly to form an alloy with the Fox bone infused steel, calling the alloy kitsunium. When she had named it she was grinningly stupidly at her mentor at her nerdy name for it.

She smiled as she hammered again. It was three feet long, and had a completely straight back. At the bottom of the blade were the blade would meet with the guard it was two inches wide, and when the edge reached halfway to the top it was one and a half inches, then the blade curved smoothly towards the tip.

Then Athena wrote some runes close to the back edge and the guard place with an iron pen along the back edge. She wrote in Anglo-Saxon script "Foxfyre", It would hold fire enchantments if she could have those applied at some point. She repeated the same thing on the other side, then she carefully filled in the carved grooves with pure melted Mithril. Then she dumped the blade into the cooling water, which had nine drops of her own blood added to it, who knows, this place has magic, maybe it would bind the sword to her or something, besides, it's kind of cool to know that the sword you wield is made with a bit of your own blood.

After the steam stopped, she reached in and cleaned the blade, then looked on in amazement, the mystical silvery shining Mithril words contrasted against almost black red tinted sword, She brought he sword to the grindstone carefully, and sharpened the edge until a glistening whited edge showed itself.

After polishing the sword she smiled, then grabbed a gold-colored already prepared hand-guard. It was like a Japanese one but the was an inch around it's entirety, but had an extra half inch at the blade edge, which curved downwards to the pommel. The thing was about half a centimeter thick.

She slid it on to the sword, remembering how she had combined a tiny amount of gold with the rest of her Mithril to form it. It was rectangular and had a nine-tailed fox engraved at each edge on each side with a spindly design, under and over, making eight nine-tailed foxes. She made sure it was secure and then using a special tool that she didn't remember the name of tightened the black leather over the handle, forming a spiral pattern down to the edge. She carefully folded the ends and then clamped it down and walked outside to wait for it to dry and harden slightly, making it firm but soft.

She walked back in the next day and added the pure gold hilt cap around the Mithril spike at the end, sealing the handle bindings in place. It had one nine-tailed Kitsune curved around it, making nine of them in all, She applied just enough heat to make the gold even more pliable, and made sure it was secure.

She then lifted the sword and smiled.

"Hello Foxfyre, your ready for battle, and I will be soon." She then placed Foxfyre in an already prepared black leather scabbard with gold/bronze fire decal running along it, and the gold/bronzed rimmed edge made a beautiful sound as the sword slide in for the first time. She fastened the blade to her back, then did the same with Derf as she ran to her mentor.

Bjorland grinned happily at her masterpiece, it had taken her an entire year to bring her skills up to a master, but that was still amazing, and she had taken since the last full moon to make this sword.

"It is beautiful Athena." He tapped the edge, eyes widening." And very strong too, stronger than any sword I have seen before. I think this is a perfect sword to start your adventuring career with, anyone who see's it will know you are professional." She beamed as he gave it back to her with respect. Then she grabbed her jacket and prepared herself to leave, but he stopped her.

"Those foreign clothes of yours really clash with that beautiful sword, and Derf of course." Said sword smugly gave a pleased sound,"So, I think you should get some armor, something light to start off with yah? I've got something that'll suit you perfectly." He walked to his store-room and came back carrying a manikin with a decent looking set of black leather armor. It had thin steel plates covering the shoulders, forearms, and calves.

Athena looked over the armor with interest.

"I'd say that looks like it would fit me perfectly, but I am sure that you didn't just happen to have a set of armor stored away that's exactly my size and dimensions." He smiled at her quickness.

"I knew you would start your adventures as soon as you finished that sword, so I've been making this in my spare time, think of it as a last gift from master to apprentice. Besides, I know you've been eyeing up the heavier armors on display around the smithing district. I know that you need to work your way up to that level of weight, even if your strong enough for it, ye wont be used to it that fast, so, work with something of medium weight, like this armor." He then threw the manikin lightly at her, which she caught and almost fell over, it was about twenty five pounds.

Athena nodded to him.

"Thanks old man, I'll treat it right. Now get out of here, a lady needs her privacy." He laughed and left the room, then she armored up and walked to the storefront where he had gone and hugged him.

"Goodbye Bjorland, see yah in the future sometime, if ye live that long." Then she ran out, running to the Port tree, ready to go where ever she wanted.

* * *

**And done, I loved the sword, she is going to have a tiny bit of my, uh, likes because well, I wrote her. So of course she can smith, which is easy (For me at least) once you learn the basics. The writing of the smithing wasn't entirely accurate, but it should give you the gist of the whole thing, I actually don't know most of the technical words and had a hard time writing the procedure down.**

**Yes I know that in real life gold sucks, but she thought that magic might work better on it, making enchantments easier.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Warning, this is where the story gets it's M rating, graphic violence and maiming commence here, gore and stuff you know?**

...

Athena had bought passage to Albion with her left over funds she had set aside to make her sword. She still had a decent amount for food for a couple months though.

She was going to Albion to seek her fame in the chaos that had been set by the Reconquista uprising that happened during her apprenticeship, it had not succeeded, and the revolution's sort of government split into many pieces, many nobles trying to make their own independent states while the former Albion kingdom was reduced to just a small part of the southern part of the island. It was like the real dark ages all over again, but without the plague thankfully.

Athena was going to hire herself out for various nobles for lengths of time so as to gain money and fame.

When the island came into view she smiled, from what she could tell of the maps this place might be some strange equivalent of her former England home. She grabbed her new leather backpack and simple wooden buckler she had bought while leaving La Rochelle, the backpack looked like an average backpack back on Earth, but just made of the more durable leather. And the buckler was simply going to be temporary until she finished her planned armor design.

She stepped of the ship as it docked at a port under the control of the Albion remnants. When she walked through town she could see the common peoples worried expressions, and they backed away from her as she walked through the crowd as if she would lash out and kill them if they even bumped into her. It made her frown at how scared these people were of anyone who even looked like they had money.

She left the town quickly, and immediately noticed that the wooden walls had simple spikes poking outward on this side, and that the gates were being locked behind her.

"Man, this place is just like medieval England. Just the language is different. Hope I can manage this little career." She adjusted her backpack and walked along the trail, really wishing she had a horse or even better a motorcycle, like one of those Japanese ones she had wanted so badly back on Earth.

At the memory of the Japanese Athena felt a memory pop to the surface, her memory was of her watching some anime with an average Joe kind of guy holding a sword looking remarkably like Derf, blocking magic and absorbing it as battle music sounded.

She looked to Derf on her back, wondering what it meant. Though she did not notice glowing from under her left glove as the memory quickly faded from her head.

* * *

Over several months of wondering Athena did odd jobs and a lot of mercenary work, gaining a sort of infamy as a ruthless and bloodthirsty but skilled warrior, who wasn't afraid to hunt down nobles for her pay. She was too fast for the nobles to hit her with spells, so she was occasionally hired to kill them. And she slowly created her own style of combat, becoming better every fight.

But she also became used to killing, and unlike others who did so by cutting off their emotions when in battle or trying to dehumanize their enemies, she started to enjoy it, just a little, but enough to be called a monster on Earth, maybe even here, and she knew that. Though she did mostly enjoy it when killing the scum of the earth. But she did have mercy for those who were truly good, telling them to go into hiding.

She eventually managed to get time to smith armor for her left arm, with a large centimeter thick pauldron marking the shift from leather to real armor. It was made of her signature Kitsunium alloy of course. She had to use most of the rest of her Mithril for it though, shed have to buy some more later. She had added her three drops of blood in the cooling water too.

The armor itself was sort of thin on her biceps, only half a centimeter, but on her forearm it was an two centimeters thick. It covered all of her forearm, with a little bit going over the top of her hand and ending at the beginnings of her fingers, which were clad in much thinner armor for maneuverability. The fingers ended in thick alloy claws with a bit higher Mithril to steel ratio, this was her secondary weapon. The forearm part of her armor was so thick because it was to be her shield.

Now Athena was slowly getting used to the uneven weight, luckily the Mithril made it only about four pounds but that still set her off a bit, so she had some simple iron weights attached to her right shoulder, still uneven but bearable.

She now was traveling through a town called Saxe-Gotha, and decided that going through the forest would be faster.

* * *

When she entered the forest she sprinted as fast as she could through the forest, being in constant contact with her new claws was very useful in utilizing her runes. Her extra weight from the armor and weights gave her a good workout as she ran, jumping over roots and ducking under branches.

Eventually she had made it about halfway through, but the sounds of screaming children stopped her in her tracks. She looked back and slightly to the side and saw light from fires burning. She ran in and found a very small settlement on fire with children screaming while bandits laughed, and one was even dragging a little girl into the main hut.

Athena's eyes narrowed in hate, she didn't care much about mass murder. But if someone attacks a child they were to be tortured, then, as painfully as possible, killed. She grabbed Derflingr and stretched out her claws, ready to maim. But then Derf cackled in glee at another battle and she glared at him.

"Shut up Derf, I'm really bloody pissed right now." He did as she said, then she charged through the ranks of the twenty or so bandits, new screams filled the air as she didn't aim for clean kills, going for points like the stomach, limbs...groins.

With her claws she actually ripped one man's face off with her enhanced strength, the runes giving her the exact knowledge on how to do so in the most horrifying manner. Then she proceeded to throw it at another bandit who made shrieking noises as he tried to get it off his own face, which was then stabbed by Derf.

The bandit in the hut, who was the leader judging by how big he was, stumbled out of the cabin with his trousers undone and pulling them up as he investigated. He saw one woman standing tall with her head lowered shading her eyes over most of his party, with several trying to run into the forest, only one succeeding.

"So, your the one who ordered and attack on this place?...what were you just doing?" Her eyes narrowed more as she noticed him trying to fasten his trousers and pull out his giant battle-axe at the same time. Her body quivered in anger when he just he smirked smugly.

"Just having a bit o' fun with the spoils lass, but you look like you'll be more fun, how about we have some too?" He raised his axe with a lecherous grin, and Athena felt a rage unlike any other she had ever had before, her bloodlust boiled. She felt the Gandalfr rune going overdrive as it tried to pump more power into her so as to utterly destroy this despicable thing, she even felt something that strangely reminded her of Zero when she charged at this monster, blocking his hefty cleave with her buckler and stabbing at his groin, but he backed away quickly.

"Ok, this just got personal slut." He grasped his battle-axe in both hands and let out a battle cry and ran at her, swinging down but she nimbly stepped around him and raked her claws along his ribs and back, digging into the bone and causing the man to scream in pain as she cut through muscle, he lost the back support to wield his ax and it dropped to the ground along with him.

Athena then grasped his scalp and squeezed, then swung at his neck with her quickly grabbed kunai, slicing through his neck and separating body from said appendage.

She then was about to squish the head in her hand, but though better of it, brains are messy. So she dropped it and searched around the ruins, finding several children hiding away and she realized that their wasn't any adults. She asked and they said that big sister Tiffa was getting food for them before the bad men attacked.

"Oh... well, we should get out of here, do you know where she is?" The biggest kid nodded.

"Yah, she's over in Gotha getting food, and stuff. She's usually here by now." Athena nodded and held one of their hands with her own, but when she turned she spotted a beautiful woman just entering the clearing with an utterly shocked look on her face, then worry.

"Children! Children where are you!" Her words appeared panicked, then she saw the bloody Athena holding one of her charges hands and freaked out.

"Murderer!" She whipped out her wand and started an average length incantation, but Athena quickly ran forwards and tacked her to the ground, grabbing the wand before she could cast anything.

"Stop it girl, I just saved their bloody lives!" Tiffania was hyperventilating so Athena told her to just breathe. Eventually she calmed down enough to bombard Athena with questions, and Athena answered them as best she could, absently noticing the girl's... assets.

* * *

Now the children were grabbing whatever they could of theirs, and preparing to leave the settlement. The place was too tainted for children now. Athena walked up to Tiffa and set a hand on her shoulder, remembering what she had told her of herself in thanks for the rescue.

"Hey, I'm going to leave soon alright? I'll give you back your wand." She then held out the stick, which Tiffa grabbed but the they both felt a shock as Tiffa's void magic connected to Louis's through the wand, Athena, and the runes for a moment. Then Athena felt a massive pain as that activated the mother of all headaches as she felt the need to return to Zero, protect her, Zero, protect, Zero, protect, Zero protectZeroprote- NO!

Athena's eyes opened wide then narrowed in pain, anger, and will as she pushed back at the rune's power, finally realizing that it could influence her mind. She then felt Tiffa pull the wand away and point it at her head worried that she would hurt the children, but her action gave Athena an idea through the pain, remembering that Tiffania had told her she could remove memories.

"Tiffa! Can you erase the memories of the rune? Or somehow make it not connected to Zero? I'll explain who that is later!" She undid the shield gauntlet part of her armor, and the deadly claws and thick gauntlet fell away showing the brightly glowing runes. Tiffa looked at them and started chanting, then sent a spell at it.

Luckily, for Athena, the spell did not go to her head, but it did make her hand burn much like the first time it was branded, except a hundred times worse. She could almost feel the spell go through to Zero, but lose it's coherency and fracture the connection between her and Athena when Tiffa's void magic reacted with Louise's, imploding the bond.

All of this while screaming, crying, and feeling like her head would explode. She was utterly lacking of thought as she gripped her head with her fingers, hoping the pain would go away.

Then Athena fell to the ground, as she felt the energy of the runes strengthening her turn much weaker, but she still knew everything about how to use the kunai on her belt when she touched it, and she smiled, feeling her head be clearer than it ever had during her stay here in this world.

"I'm... free." Then the world was black.

* * *

**And she still has the power! This is a weird and unlikely way of keeping that power. The knowledge of weapons is only being powered by her own much weaker magical energy. Of course she had only needed it for living most of the time, so now she'll get some exercise for it.**

**Please don't kill me!**

**In other news, I am REALLY sorry for the half length chapter, I promise the next one will be at least 4000 words.**

**In the meantime though, thanks for reviews and all such things like that, please do so more and I will endeavor to keep pumping out chapters, ta-ta for now :)**


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